Railroad-car.



No. 778,973. PATENTED JAN. 3, 1905. G. H. HOWARD & G. G. FLOYD.

RAILROAD GAR. APPLIOATIOH IILIJD 00121, 1904.

2 SHEETS-8HEET 1.

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PATENTED JAN. 3, 1905. G. H- HOWARD & G. G. FLOYD.

RAILROAD CAR.

APPLICATION FILED cow. 21, 1904.

' UNITED STATES Patented January 3, 1905.

PATENT Orrion,

CLARENCE H. HOWARD AND GEORGE G. FLOYD, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

RAILROAD-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,973, dated January 3, 1905,

Application filed October 21, 1904:. Serial No. 229,499.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, CLARENCE H. HOWARD and GEORGE G. FLOYD, citizens of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railroad-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to the sills and bodybolsters of a railroad-car, and is especially intended for the class of cars known as flat and coal cars,having, preferably, rolled-iron or pressed-steel sills and iron stake-pockets; and our invention has for its object to increase the rigidity and resistance to end thrust or concussion of the end portions of the underframe of the carad acent to the body-bolsters. Our invention consists in substituting for the present end sills and end portions of the longitudinal sills (preferably metallic) of a car two end frames integral throughout, respectively, and each comprising a solid top plate which forms a corresponding portion of the car-floor and is formed, preferably, with two depending transverse beams, one of which forms the end sill and the other the bodybolster, and having depending longitudinal beams to which the ends of the longitudinal sills are fixed, combined with minor features of novelty, as hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, whereon Figure 1 is a top plan of one end and adjacent portion of the underframe of a car constructed according to our invention; Figs. 2 and 3, a side and end elevation thereof, respectively; Fig. 4, a vertical longitudinal section thereof on line 4 a in Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 avertical transverse section ofthe same on line 5 5 in Fig. 1.

Like letters and numerals of reference denote like parts in all the figures.

a represents one of the frames which we substitute for the corresponding end portions of the ordinary longitudinal sills of, preferably, a flat or coal car, (also applicable to other cars.) The frame a is com-posed, preferably, of caststeel integral throughout and extends longitudinally beneath the car-body for a suitable distance from the end thereof and transversely thereto for its entire width. The frame (0 comprises a solid top plate 1, which is ofsuitable thickness to insure rigidity and forms the end portion of the car-flooring. From the under side of the top plate 1 and transversely thereto for its entire width at the end of the car depends a beam 2, which is adapted to form the end sill of the car and may be of any desired cross-section, such as an upright web united at the top to the plate 1 and having an inwardly-projecting bottom flange, as shown.

From the under side of the top plate 1 for its entire Width between its inner end 2 and its outer end beam 2 depends transversely a beam 3, which is preferably of an inverted- T shape in cross-section and forms the bodybolster, the beam 3 being formed accordingly therefor with a bottom center plate 4 in the middlevand perforated therethrough in the usual manner and through the top plate 1 for the king-bolt, (not shown,) or, if desired, the bod y-bolster may be of separate construction and attached to the bottom of the frame a beneath the beam 3, in which case the center plate 4 is omitted from the beam 8, or the beam 3 may be dispensed with.

From the under side of the top plate 1 for its entire length at the sides and intermediately thereto depend longitudinal beams 5 and 6, which correspond, respectively, to the side and intermediate longitudinal and preferably metallic sills Lb of the car and are preferably similarly shaped thereto in cross-section, the transverse beams 2 and 3 intersecting and being integrally united to the longitudinal beams 6 and at their ends to the longitudinal beams 5. The end portions of the sills 6 b (which preferably extend only between the beams or body-bolsters 3 in lieu of the entire length of the car, as in the ordinary construction) are inserted beneath the top plate 1 longitudinally along and laterally against the corresponding sides of the beams 5 and 6, respectively, of the frame a, between its inner end 2 and the transverse beam or body-bolster 3, the sills b b and beams 5 and 6 in the present case being channel-shaped in cross-section and the ends of the sills 7) b preferably butting against (but clear of, if de- I sired) the upright web of the beam or bodybolster 3, in which position the sills 7) Z) are firmly fixed to the beams 5 and 6 by rivets 7 as shown.

Through the transverse beam or end sill 2 of the frame a isformed the opening 8 for the draw-bar 9 (broken away) of the coupler, and on the outer face of the end sill 2, above the opening 8, is formed integrally with the end sill 2 the dead-block 10.

On the inside and opposite faces of the middle longitudinal beams 6 of the frame a, between the end sill 2 and the beam or bodybolster 3, are formed integrally with the beams 6 the vertical lugs or abutments 11 for the follower-plates (not shown) of the draftrigging.

On the outer faces of the longitudinal beams 5 or sides of the frame a and integral therewith are formed the stake-pockets12, or the stake pockets 12 may be of separate construction and attached to the frame a, if preferred.

- pockets 12, the post-pockets 12 being preferably combined with projecting longitudinal ribs or flanges 13, formed on and integral with the outer faces of the longitudinal beams 5 or sides of the frame a, the ribs 13 extending horizontally the entire length of the frame a and alined to similar flanges 14, fixed to the outer faces of the sills b, all as indicated by broken lines in Figs. 1 and 3, sills or stringers (not shown) being secured to the flanges 13 14-. for carrying the side posts of the carbody.

By substituting the cast-steel frames a, made in one piece with or without the body-bolsters, as above described, for the ordinary end portions of the separated longitudinal sills and for the ordinary end sillsof the car the end portions of the car-frame are rendered rigid and durable, so that when subjected to abnormal end thrust or concussion from collision the buckling andspreading of the longitudinal sills which occur under these circumstances when they are extended to the ends of the car Without adequate bracing is prevented and increased safety to life insured.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a railroad-car, the combination with the longitudinal sills, of a frame integral throughout and extending beneath the carbody to a suitable distance from each end thereof, the said frame comprising a solid top plate having its under side flush, or thereabout, with the top of the said sills and forming a portion of the car-floor, beams depending from the plate longitudinally thereto and bearing laterally against the corresponding end portions of the said sills, and a beam depending from the plate transversely thereto and forming the end sill of the car, and means for fixing the longitudinal sills to the longitudinal beams of the said frame, substantially as described.

2. In a railroad-car, the combination with the longitudinal sills, of a frame integral throughout and extending beneath the carbody to a suitable distance from each end thereof, the said frame comprising a solid top plate having its under side flush, or thereabout, with the top of the said sills and forming a portion of the car-floor, beams depending from the plate longitudinally thereto and bearing laterally against the corresponding end portions ofthe said sills, a beamdepending from ing a portion of the car-floor, outer and middle beams depeuding'from the plate longitudinally. thereto and bearing laterally against the end portions of the corresponding longitudinal sills, a beam depending from the plate transversely thereto and forming the end sill of the car, the said beam having adead-block integral therewith and having an opening for the shank of the coupler, and the said middle beams having lugs integral therewith for the draft-rigging, and means for fixing the said sills to the longitudinal beams of the said frame, substantially as described;

4. In a railroad-car, the combination with the longitudinal sills, of a frame integral throughout and extending beneath the carbody to a suitable distance from each end thereof, the said frame having a solid top plate forming a portion of the car-floor, outer beams de-. pending from the plate longitudinally thereto and bearing laterally against the end portions of the corresponding longitudinal sills, a beam depending from the plate transversely thereto and forming the end sill of the car, the said beams having pockets integral therewith, and means for fixing the said sills to the longitudinal beams of the said frame, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to this specification in the presence of 

